Additive delivery device



y 2, 1967 M. J. VALK ETAL 3,316,844

ADDITIVE DELIVERY DEVICE Filed May 18, 1965 INVENTORS MICHAEL J. VAL K JOHN VALK HI f /V W ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,316,844 ADDITIVE DELIVERY DEVICE Michael J. Valk, 640 Franklin Ave., Nutley, NJ. 07110; and John Valk III, 302 Orient Way, Rutherford, NJ.

Filed May 18, 1965, Ser. No. 456,792 Claims. (Cl. 103-6) the fuel oil thereby eliminating soot. In addition, 01-

factory agents may also be introduced which tend to diminish the otherwise unpleasant odor of fuel oil. The precise identity of these individual additives vary from a fuel oil dealer to a fuel oil dealer, but are all well known in the trade.

Frequently, the additive is introduced into the large storage tank maintained by the fuel oil wholesaler. However, introduction of relatively large quantities of additives into extremely large quantities of fuel oil creates problems of even mixing. In addition, some of the additive may be rendered useless by addition to such large tanks where excessive amounts of pre-existing sludge may be found and, where the fuel is not used for a considerable period of time.

It is more advantageous to introduce the additive into the fuel oil either at the point of delivery or as close thereto as possible in precisely metered amounts, without adding theadditive directly to the fuel oil tank.

Therefore, it is among the objects and advantages of our invention to provide an additive delivery device in which a fuel oil additive is introduced directly into the delivery stream of fuel oil emanating from a fuel oil storage or transportation tank.

Another object of our invention is to provide an additive delivery device in which an additive delivery pump connected to an additive tank injects an additive into the stream of fuel oil emanating from the fuel oil tank delivery pump in response to operation of the said fuel oil delivery pump.

Yet a further object of our invention is to provide an additive delivery device in which the additive delivery pump is intermittently energized by means of a vacuum switch in the conduit connecting the fuel oil delivery pump with the additive delivery pump.

Still another object of our invention is to provide an additive delivery device in which the flow of additive into the fuel oil delivery stream is continuously and precisely measured at all times.

A further object of our invention is to provide an additive delivery device which can be conveniently mounted on fuel oil delivery trucks as well as installed at fixed installations.

Still another object of our invention is to provide an additive delivery device in which the additive delivery pump may be energized by a power system separate and distinct from the power system energizing the fuel oil delivery pump.

These objects and advantages, as well as other objects and advantages may be achieved by our invention one embodiment of which is illustrated in the drawing in which:

3,316,844 Patented May 2, 1967 The figure illustrates schematically our additive delivery device.

Referring to the drawings in detail, our additive delivery device comprises an additive storage tank 11 which may be fabricated of either metal or fiberglass. The additive storage tank 11 may be mounted on or in juxtaposition to a fuel oil storage tank 12. In the case of a mobile truck, the additive tank 11 may be strapped directly to the main fuel oil storage tank or strapped to a frame member of the truck. In a fixed installation, the additive tan-k 11 may be attached to or placed generally in close proximity to the fuel storage tank 12. A conduit 13 connects the additive storage tank 11 with an additive delivery pump 14. The additive delivery pump 14 is connected through conduit 15 with the vacuum side of a fuel oil delivery pump 16. The vacuum side of the fuel oil delivery pump 16 is also connected through conduit 17 to the fuel oil storage tank 12.

A vacuum sensing switch 18 is positioned in conduit 15 between the additive delivery pump 14 and the fuel oil delivery pump 16. The vacuum switch 18 is operatively connected to an electrical switch 19 located in the power circuit 20 to the additive delivery pump 14. The fuel oil delivery pump 16 may be energized by a separate and distinct power circuit for, in the case of a fuel oil delivery truck, the pump 16 may be powered through a transmission by the engine of the truck.

In operation, the fuel oil delivery pump energized to generate a vacuum in conduits Immediately, the vacuum switch 18 senses the vacuum in conduit 15 closing the electrical switch 19 in the power circuit 20 to the fuel oil additive pump 1.4. The additive delivery pump 14 is thereby energized to deliver additive through conduit 15 to the fuel oil delivery pump 16 wherein it is infused in the stream of fuel oil passing from the fuel oil storage tank 12 through conduit 17. The combination of fuel oil with additive infused therein passes through the discharge conduit 21 of pump 16 to the consumer.

The additive pump 14 carefully measures the amount of additive which passes through conduit 15 to be infused in the fuel oil stream 21. Hence, the amount of additive delivered through conduit 15 is not necessarily directly proportional to the vacuum generated by pump 16. This is extremely important since reduction valves would be necessary in conduit 15; otherwise, excessively large quantities of additive would be drawn from the pump 14, the vacuum in conduit 15 being of the same order of magnitude as the vacuum in line 17. At the same time, pump 14 may be energized by a separate and distinct power system. This is very important on trucks where the fuel oil delivery pump 16 is driven by the engine of the truck. Obviously, it would be extremely difficult to extend this power train to pump 14. Here, too, the operating speed of pump 14 should not necessarily bear a direct relationship to the operating speed of pump 16.

The additive in tank 11 is mixed with the fuel oil from tank 12 immediately prior to discharge to the consumer 21. Thus, the additive does not enter the storage tank 12 at any time and in the case of a fuel oil delivery truck, does not remain in a storage tank with the fuel oil at any time other than in the tank of the consumer.

While we have described our additive supply device with a vacuum switch 18, it must be borne in mind that any means for detecting vacuum, flow or surge in conduit 15 could be substituted. When pump 16 is actuated, obviously, there is a surge of liquid in conduit 15 which surge itself could be employed to operatively close electrical switch 19, thereby energizing pump 14.

In any given installation, the delivery rate: of the fuel oil pump 16 is substantially constant and, hence, the operating speed of the additive pump 14 need not be 16 may be 15 and 17.

variable. Moreover, although we have described the fuel oil additive pump 14 as being of the metering variety, other metering devices may be introduced to perform this function.

The foregoing description is merely intended to illustrate an embodiment of the invention. The component parts have been shown and described, They each may have substitutes which may perform a substantially similar function; such substitutes may be known as proper substitutes for the said components and may have actually been known or invented before the present invention; these substitutes are contemplated as being within the scope of the appended claims, although they are not specifically catalogued herein.

We claim:

1. An additive delivery device comprising:

(a) an additive tank;

(b) a fuel tank;

(c) an additive pump having an inlet and an outlet,

the inlet communicating with the additive tank;

(d) a fuel pump having an inlet and an outlet, the

inlet communicating with the fuel tank;

(e) a conduit connecting the outlet of the additive pump with the inlet of the fuel pump;

(f) a power source operatively connected to the additive pump the said power source being independent of both the operating pressure and speed of the fuel pump;

(g) means in the said conduit .for detecting suction at the inlet of the fuel pump, said means being operatively connected to the power source for the additive pump whereby the additive pump is energized when the fuel pump generates suction at its inlet.

2. An additive delivery device comprising:

(a) the structure in accordance with claim 1, wherein (b) the additive pump and the fuel pump have different sources of power.

3. An additive delivery device comprising:

(a) the structure in accordance with claim 1, in which (b) the detection means are a vacuum operated electrical switch operatively connected to the power source of the additive pump.

4. An additive delivery device comprising:

(a) the structure in accordance with claim 1, in which (b) the detection means are a surge operated electrical switch operatively connected to the power source of the additive pump.

5. An additive delivery device comprising:

(a) the structure in accordance with claim 1, in which,

(b) the additive delivery pump blocks the flow of additive from and against pressure from the additive 5 tank until the said additive pump is energized.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 595,942 12/1897 Diehl et a1. l03-6 2,162,074 6/1939 Everson 103-6 2,605,708 8/1952 Smedes l036 2,674,190 4/1954 Taylor 1036 2,936,835 5/1960 Sheppard 1036 2,938,509 5/1960 Carbonero l036 3,150,676 9/1964 Robinson 137-10121 3,161,020 12/1964 La Haye 39.02

DONLEY J. STOCKING, Primary Examiner.

MARK NEWMAN, Examiner.

W. J. KRAUSS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN ADDITIVE DELIVERY DEVICE COMPRISING: (A) AN ADDITIVE TANK; (B) A FUEL TANK; (C) AN ADDITIVE PUMP HAVING AN INLET AND AN OUTLET, THE INLET COMMUNICATING WITH THE ADDITIVE TANK; (D) A FUEL PUMP HAVING AN INLET AND AN OUTLET, THE INLET COMMUNICATING WITH THE FUEL TANK; (E) A CONDUIT CONNECTING THE OUTLET OF THE ADDITIVE PUMP WITH THE INLET OF THE FUEL PUMP; (F) A POWER SOURCE OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE ADDITIVE PUMP THE SAID POWER SOURCE BEING INDEPENDENT OF BOTH THE OPERATING PRESSURE AND SPEED OF THE FUEL PUMP; (G) MEANS IN THE SAID CONDUIT FOR DETECTING SUCTION AT THE INLET OF THE FUEL PUMP, SAID MEANS BEING OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE POWER SOURCE FOR THE ADDITIVE PUMP WHEREBY THE ADDITIVE PUMP IS ENERGIZED WHEN THE FUEL PUMP GENERATES SUCTION AT ITS INLET. 